Improvement in wrenches



. attimi tats-5 atwiilivar WILLIAM BAXTER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNOR TO HIM-V SELF AND WILLIAM D. RUSSELL, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Lette/rs .Patent No. 84,605, dctedDeccmbP/r 1, 1868.

pieces, and right and lefthand thumb-screw, of which the wrench iscomposed.

My invention relates to that class of wrenches known as S-wrenches,having jaws at right angles to the shank.

'Owing to the peculiar form of such wrenches, their jaws have heretoforebeen fixed, and adapted to grasp only one size of nuts.

The object I have in view is to render the jaws adjnstable, so as'totdiiierent sizes, at the same time avoiding the clumsiness and unwieldynature of the ordinary adjustable hammer and other wrenches, andpreserving the proportionswhich give to the ordinary non-adj ustables-'wrench its value in so many instances. v

To this end, my invention may be statedV to consist- First, in anadjustable S-wrench, composed of two parts, mortised and tenonedtogether in the manner hereinafter described, the mortise being formedin the exterior and the tenon in the interior jaw of each part. Second,in combining with the two mortised and tenoned parts of the S-wrench aright and left-hand screw, and thumb-piece to operate it, therebycoutract ing or extending the jaws much more speedily than when a singlescrew is employed.

Third, in the construction and combination of the two parts composingthe s wrench, each being provided with a tenon and mortise, arranged onopposite ends, so that the pla-ne of movement of the two parts shall bein the direction of the length of the wrench, and at right angles ortransversely to the jaws.

Fourth, in the combination, in an adjustable S-wrench, of scales uponthe shank with the right and left-hand screw and thumb-piece, so thatthe wrench may serve the piu'pose of calipers for measuring iron ornuts; and,

Lastly, in minor features of construction, to 'be hereina-iterdescribed.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention,I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or maybecarried into ei'ect, by reference to the drawings.

The two parts'A B, of which the wrench is com-` posed, are shownseparately in gs. 3.and 4. The part' V.A is provided at one end with anexterior jaw, a, and

upon the other with an interior jaw, b, the two jaws being turned inopposite directions, as usual in S- wrenches. The part B is provided, inlike manner, at one end with 'the interior jaw a', and at the other withthe exterior jaw, b', these jaws, when the parts are placed together,forming, in conjunction with the jaws a b, the two sets of jaws withwhich the wrenches should be provided. f Y

Each interior jaw a.' b carries a tenon', e, which fits in a mortise',cl, eutn each exterior jaw a b.

`The contiguous sides ofnthe` shank-portion of the two parts A B fittogether, when the parts are properly adjusted, so as to admit of theirsliding longitudinally, in order to open and close the jaws, which standat right angles to the plane of movement.

. The arrangement of tenons upon the interior jaws and mortises in theexterior jaws, enables me to impart great strength and solidity to thejaws, at the same time retaining perfectly the S-shape of the wrench,but, if desired, the position of parts may be reversed, though with notas good results.

It will be noticed that the mortises and tenons are formed upon thatside of the division-line between the two parts of the divided shank,nearest their respective jaws, so that, without increasing the size oramount of metal ,in the jaws, I am enabled to preserve their strengthWhile' projecting them out from the shank,

and giving them that bill-shape which is requisite in an S-wrench.

For the purpose of adapting the wrench to very small nuts, as well as tothose of large size, I so construct and arrange the jaws that, when thesmaller pair, a c',

-are entirely closed, the larger pair, b b, will be opened to themaximum extent to which the smaller pair can be extended and used. Andthus the smaller pair can be employed for sizes less than the minimumopening of the larger jaw, the latter, on the other hand, being capableof grasping nuts and like articles which cannot be contained between theformer.

When the two parts A B are placed together, they may be actuated tocontract or expandv the openings between the jaws by a pawl and ratchet,worm and rack, or other well-known devices. I much prefer, however, toemploy the means shown in iig. 5, consisting of a right and left-handscrew, h, provided with a milled head or thumb-piece, k, located midwaybetween its two ends.

In order to provide a place in the wrench in which this device may beheld, so as to be conveniently located with respect to the hand 'of theoperator, and at the same time entirely out of the way, I form in theinterior edge of each part A B a recess, m, terminating in a shonldenet,the recessin the one part being formed so as to extend in the directionopposite to that of the recess in the other part, so that when the twoare placed together, as shown in igs. land 2, the thumbpiece 'k andexposed parts of the screw will be enclosed by the shouldersor end a andthe sides 'm of the recesses.

In the one shoulder, it, a screwthreaded socket is I tapped, forreceiving the end of the screw carrying the right-hand thread, and inthe other shoulder a like socket receives the lett-hand screw-threadedend o the screw h.

The vthumb-piece k, situated between the two, willlie within the spaceenclosed by the four sides, n m. By turning the thumb-piece, it will beseen that the jaws, owing to the employment of the right and lefthandscrew, will move apart with twice the speed which could be obtained bythe employment of either a righthand or lett-hand screw, and I attain bythis means a great advantage over ordinary wrenches.

Again, by reason ofthe formation of the recesses 7n, and the employmentof the right and left-hand screw in this manner, I am enabled to makethe wrench serve Aalso the purpose of ca-lipers, a graduated scale, s,being formed on the edge of each recess. And by this` means the size ofany bolt or nut or iron can be determined with thegreatest facility, audwithout thel employment of a separate instrument.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that this method of dividingthe wrench into two parts, whose -.line of movement, in parallel planes,is in the direction of 'their length, is especially' applicable toS-wrenches in which the jaws stand at right angles to the shank, and notto what are known as diagonal wrenches.

The construction and arrangement of parts is such as to secure thegreatest strength and solidity, at the same timejpreserving perlectly,for all practical purposes, the form of thc non-adjustable S-wrench, andthus adapting the instrmnent to many uses for .which the ordinaryadjustable liammer-wreuches are entirely uniitted.

rlhe adjustment of the implement can readily bc effected with one handalone, the shank being held in the hand, and the roughened or milledhead I; pressed upon and rolled over a board or other suitable surface.And the arrangement of the znljusting-screw and head is such that,practically, the wrench has theI same unbroken surface as the ordinaryS-wrench.

Having now described my invention, and the manner in .which the same isor may beI carried into effect,

VVllat I claim,` and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. A11 adjustable S-wrench, 4composed of two parts, niort-ised andtenoned together iu the manner and for the pulposes described.

2. The combination, with the two mortised and teuoncd parts ofthes-wrench, of a right and left-hand screw, and thumb-piece to opelate it,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The construction and combination ofthe two parts composingthes-wreuch, each" being provided with a tenon andv mortise, arranged onopposite ends, so that the plane of movement of the two parts. shall bein the direction of the length of the wrench, and at right angles ortransversely to the jaws, as. set forth.

4. The combination, in an adjustable S-Wrench, as described, of scalesupon the divided wrench-shank, with the right andleft-hand screw andthumb-piece, arranged Awithin a recess formed in the two parts of thesaid shank, as and-for the puiposes set forth.

5. The tenons formed upon and at right angles to the' inner jaws, incombination with the corresponding mortises in the heads of the outerjaws, substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.

(i. The' construction and arrangement of the larger and smaller' jaws ofthe wrench, so that, when the smaller jaws are completely closed, thelarger will be open to the maximum extent of the former, as and for thepurposes set forth.

7. The 'formation of the mortise and tenon in the body of the dividedshank of an adjustable wrench, and upon that side of the division-line`between the two parts of the shank nearest the jaws, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speciiication,before two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM BAXTER.

Witnesses WVM. D. RUSSELL, S. S. MORRIS.

